Show Notes
Interview about the biography of Millie Benson, the Nancy Drew Ghostwriter.
View Full Transcript
Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:08 Welcome to PLS J's podcast, where the public library of Steubenville in Jefferson county, cheers with you. Our favorite quirky questions finds out what leaders in our community are reading interviews, local authors, and so much more
Speaker 2 00:00:27 Welcome to the public library of Steubenville and Jefferson county. This is our main library. Um, Julie Rubini is here with us today and she's the author of three biographies for young readers, including Ida I sports journalist, Christine Brennan, Virginia Hamilton, America storyteller, which was named to bank street college of education's best children's books, 2018 edition and missing Millie Benson. The secret case, the Nancy drew ghost writer and journalist. She has also written hidden Ohio, a search and seek children's book about her great eight and her most recent book. Why we small strive and sing Julian, her husband established Claire's day a children's book festival at honor of their daughter. This celebration of Claire's love for reading has grown to a week long celebration impacting over 20,000 children and family members and is gaining national attention. So welcome to today, Julie to our podcast.
Speaker 3 00:01:24 Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 00:01:26 Oh, you're welcome. Thank you so much for being with us. We're here today to get to know you of course, and to learn more about your biography on milli Benson, tell us, um, a little bit about how you, you got started writing that biography on her.
Speaker 3 00:01:40 Well, that's interesting in that my life has played out in such ways that particularly since losing her daughter Claire in 2000, where opportunity has presented itself and being in the right place at the right time after hidden Ohio was published, which came as a result of having the publisher attend Claire's day. We were looking for an Ohio author to write hidden Ohio and she extended the opportunity to, to me. I had been freelancing before, so writing was not new to me, but certainly writing children's books was and what a learning process it was. I became involved with the society of children, book writers and illustrators, which is the industry, the organization for the industry. If you want to become a published author illustrator, that is the organization to belong to. There are here in Ohio, there are two regional chapters I've attended the Ohio Northern in Cleveland area for their programming annually, as well as there's just many opportunities again, to connect, to learn, to grow at one of these regional conferences.
Speaker 3 00:02:40 I saw my friend, Michelle, how, who first spoke with is published the same year as hidden Ohio. Okay. We connected at a book fair. We really enjoyed each other from the very beginning. And we made a vow that we were not gonna be one hit wonders. We were going to keep doing what we could to continue to write books and, and become traditionally published. So lo and behold, at this regional chapter meeting, Michelle shared with me that she was serving as editor for this biographies for young reader series. The Ohio university press was publishing. Oh, and I, without even any hesitation I said to her, I really think I'd enjoy contributing to this series. And she, he said without hesitation, I think you'd be great. Even, you know, your experiences in Ohio and you're writing voices. I know it. So I began researching focus primarily in Ohios, although it's not limited to that. And, uh, nilly Benson was on my radar. She lived in Toledo for many years. I knew the role that she played in Nancy drew, but I knew there was so much more to her story. And when I learned that there hadn't ever been a biography written about her for any age group, um, I thought I was really onto something and the editorial board at Ohio university pro wholeheartedly and, um, in unison fully agreed that Millie's story should be shared. So, wow.
Speaker 2 00:03:57 So that got the ball rolling that
Speaker 3 00:03:59 Got them ball rolling. Yes.
Speaker 2 00:04:00 Oh, that's so exciting. Um, it's just amazing how you're in the right place at the right time and you can make those connections. Mm-hmm <affirmative> give us a little introduction to Millie Benson.
Speaker 3 00:04:09 Oh goodness.
Speaker 2 00:04:10 Oh, I know. She's amazing.
Speaker 3 00:04:11 She is amazing. She was, I guess, to back up since there hadn't been a book published about her. So I share with kids in school visits, always when you're are wanting to write about someone or someplace, find a similar book and then go to that back where all the back matter is, and you'll find the resources that will point you in the direction in learning more about your subject and such was the case with milli Benson. There was a, a book written, uh, about the role that milli Benson and, um, Straty to kit played in the continuation of Nancy drew. So I'm looking at the back of the book. I knew that Millie was originally from, uh, LAORA Iowa, that she had attended the university of Iowa and that there were materials at the New York public library for the Straty syndicate. So all of this correspondence letters from Millie Benson to Edward STR Fred Meer, who was the creator of the Nancy drew series of Hardy boys.
Speaker 3 00:05:05 Bobsy twins. You know, he was a, a genius in the world of children's literature back in the day. So I determined that I was going to go to LAORA. I met with her family in her family home. It was such a wonderful treat. And, uh, then I also went to the university of Iowa where that with representatives of the Iowa women's archives. Okay. And gave me the keys to the kingdom. Um, many of Millie's personal items had been donated to the university of Iowa family still had quite a bit as well in LAORA. So I went to university of Iowa and then I progressed from there. I went to New York city and into that's, um, amazing room, the Brook Russell reading room, which you have to have special permission. You go online, you have to apply wow. To do your research indicate when you're going to be there, who you are studying all multiple forms as to why you're going there and who you wanna study.
Speaker 3 00:05:57 And they list boxes of materials, and you let them know the first 10 boxes of materials that you want pulled for your visit. Wow, they're ready and waiting for you when you come. And then if you want additional materials over however long that you were there, then they'll pull them for you. So, so that was my journey. And even meeting with, um, Jen, her out in Arizona, whose collection of Nancy drew now resides in the tole, the main library of tole county public library, as well as James Keyline, who is an expert in the Strat I syndicate. So finally did my Nancy drew would be proud. I really did my, my groundwork in solving the case of, of Billy Benson. So, but yeah, so she grew up in LAORA Iowa wanted to be a writer. All of her life, her dad was hoping he would follow in her footsteps as a family doctor.
Speaker 3 00:06:44 And, um, she had her first paid writing assignment when she was 13 contributing to the St. Nicholas magazine, which was, I compare sports illustrated for kids these days. So kids can relate, they would accept writings by children and four children. And, um, then from there, she went to school journalism at university of Iowa. She became a society editor at a small newspaper in Clinton, Iowa, that wasn't for her. Uh, she stepped away after graduating in three years from university of Iowa, she went on a trip to Europe with her family, with her parents to Europe, came back, met with Edward Stratemeyer. She had already been corresponding with him. Uh, he had placed ads looking for writers to contribute to the series for these books that he was creating the outlines and he needed ghost writers. And, uh, initially they rejected her because she hadn't written a full length manuscript. Even she began writing for them with the Ruth fielding series series about another young independent woman. Okay. And then after several of those books were published, Edward reached out to her to serve as that first ghost writer for the Nancy J series. So that was Millie. And then Millie went on to write 23 of the first 30 of the name drew books, and 135 books published.
Speaker 2 00:08:03 I, I, I saw the list of it's amazing.
Speaker 3 00:08:06 It is amazing multiple under multiple pseudonyms, you know, some under her own name. Um, she was Alice Emerson for the Ruth fielding series, of course, Carolyn keen for Nancy drew. And then again, a number of series that she created. And, uh, she got published as a result of the, the weight that she, you know, pulled because of being that original N drew ghost. Right.
Speaker 2 00:08:28 And she was the first UF graduate with a master's degree in journalism from,
Speaker 3 00:08:33 So she went back to school after Stratemeyer kind of, you know, re off her, rejected her. Um, she thought, well, she, to going to school, she was fully involved at the university of Iowa. She was on the swim team. There's this iconic picture of Millie jumping off a rock into the Iowa river. I love it. It's in the book. It's just, it's perfectly Millie, in my opinion, <laugh> uh, she was involved in, um, the seal club, the swim team. She was involved in a group, the cosmopolitan club, which was, you know, all about celebrating international cultures. She was on the di daily Iowan staff. Of course, the student newspaper still written by run by, um, students on campus so fully. And then she realized she missed school. So she went back and <affirmative> and no surprise. She got her undergrad three year. She got her master's in a year and she was the first male or female to graduate with a master's in journalism from the university of Iowa. So, wow, amazing. And then started writing. I was looking back, she was born in 1905 and she started writing for Edward Stratemeyer in 1926. Nancy came out in 1930. Okay. Look at how young she was.
Speaker 2 00:09:38 Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 00:09:39 I, she just that's, you know, she was 21 years old when she starts writing her first books in 25, when she starts writing for the Nancy drew series. Pretty amazing.
Speaker 2 00:09:50 Right. And he provided an outline. Right. What else did he?
Speaker 3 00:09:53 So Edward Straty had begun his career as a ghost writer and he became so prolific. He literally couldn't keep up with all of the opportunities. So he decided he was smart. He started his own business. He called it Stratemeyer and associates, which was nothing more than Edward and his assistant Harriet. And, um, he began creating the series again, therefore mentioned har boy's Bobsy twin, Ruth fielding, many other series. Uh, coincidentally, when I did my research at the New York public library on Millie, there was an exhibit on children's literature and there is a special suction dedicated to Edward Stratemeyer in Nancy drew. Wow. Which was really, really cool to have. And in my, in my, um, PowerPoint, I share a letter that I was really hoping to. I mean, I couldn't believe first that they didn't make me wear gloves with some of this, you know, papered the letters from the 1920s.
Speaker 3 00:10:47 A lot of like the library of Congress. You need to use gloves when you're handling these things. They did not there for whatever reason, but, um, there was a letter in the file that, um, I really wanted to examine indice and it was on under display glass in this exhibit. So I have taken a picture as best I could, you know, with the glare of this correspondence from milli and Edward back in, you know, late 1920s leading up to 1930, when, you know, we have a plot twist in the stories I'd like to say yes,
Speaker 2 00:11:17 That must have been fascinating to see all that material. I just can't imagine how exciting that would be to find all that to read about, especially when you were researching her and you could see so many things that
Speaker 3 00:11:28 I feel as though I need to go through their online archives and discover a subject. So I can go have an excuse to go back to that room to do some research, cuz it was such an incredible experience. And they were all, I mean, everyone along this journey and in discovering Millie were so very helpful and supportive and kind, it just made it a very joyful experience, which was great.
Speaker 2 00:11:50 I think about how many people were impacted by the Nancy drew books. I know in our cozy mystery book club, we talk about that. Yeah. You know, people remember even the pictures on the, the covers of the books. Yes. I mean it had such a big impact on so many yes. Young women and men if young boys
Speaker 3 00:12:08 Or, and still did this day. I mean there are Nancy drew series, you know, and video game using computer games that are keeping Nancy drew relevant for current. We were talking a little bit earlier about Edward strata. I yeah.
Speaker 2 00:12:20 Let's talk about Edward. How, how, yeah. Well, I don't want give away this. <laugh> the answer in your book either to the, the mystery cuz that's the worst thing a person could do. Yes. Come and tell you, Hey, do the, the
Speaker 3 00:12:33 Murderer
Speaker 2 00:12:33 Is
Speaker 3 00:12:34 He's right? Right. Well he, he has that murder, but he, he died just 12 days after the first three Nancys were released. Now it's interesting that he would release for a new series. He would release three books. He called it a breeder set. And I've been told that that term refers to really reading readers that he wanted to get readers hooked on this new series. So he released three at a time, get those readers, you know, wanting more. Oh yeah. And when I do school visits, I, I share with kids that if it weren't for Edward Stratemeyer, Harry Potter might not have become all that Harry Potter. And they're like, well, JK rolling. Figured it out out. I mean she, with her books, she'd have those clip hangers and she'd have those plot lines where you could not wait to Harry Potter. Fans could not wait to read the next one.
Speaker 3 00:13:23 Right. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And uh, so too with many mystery writers, Siri mystery writers is that if they have a continual thread and character, is that, you know, you just so enjoy that mystery and how it's played out in one that you can't wait to read another. And that's what Edward figured out with his series. And 12 days after the Nancy drew series were published in April of 1930, he passed away. He had become ill suddenly. And um, he died and suddenly there wasn't a succession plan. He had two daughters, Harriet, not to be confused with assistant Harriet, um, and Edna and both of them Harriet more so and Edna really wanted to become involved in the business. And he kind of kept them at bed. He allowed Harriet to do some editing, but he never had her come to the offices. He had her do the work from their home in New Jersey.
Speaker 3 00:14:14 And um, after he passed the daughters tried to sell, uh, the business and they didn't find, you know, we're talking 1930, what's happening in 1930. It's great depression. Yeah. So if it weren't for Harriet Stratemeyer and Millie Benson, both Nancy drew would still not be happening today. Um, they both pulled up their boots drop. Uh, Harriets reached out to Millie to see if she would continue to write for the series she did. Um, their relationship was not the same as Millie's relationship with Edward. You're gonna have to read the book to figure that one out, but, um, that's a good yeah. That, yeah. So, um, but the two of them to their credit and I think there was that despite their kind of personality differences and conflicts that they had a mutual respect for each other and again, they helped move the series forward.
Speaker 2 00:15:04 That's fascinating to think it could have just ended. Right. You know, and not gone on further, further, it would not have been, uh, had the enjoyment that all this have had from. And I think
Speaker 3 00:15:15 It's a true, I think it's very appropriate that two women, you know, for this series that was being written about a young independent woman that these two women moved it forward, which I think is really pretty
Speaker 2 00:15:28 Cool. Wow. That definitely is. I wondered about this as I was reading the book and looking at the other books that you've written, um, what attracted you to the desire to write biographies for young readers versus adult readers? And do you think eventually you might do some adult reader, um, biographies.
Speaker 3 00:15:46 I love reading them, but I love writing for younger a isn't that probably from our Claire's day and our celebration of our little reader gone too soon. And I love doing school visits. I love presenting to adult audiences, uh, the Millie Benson, but all three of the biographies, even though they're written for middle grade, young adult level, they appeal to adults. And I knew right well enough that since there had never been that biography of Millie Benson written be for that, we would have audiences of all ages enjoying this book and, um,
Speaker 2 00:16:18 And it, I enjoy it.
Speaker 3 00:16:19 <laugh> yeah, I think that I love discovering stories of women in particular who are inspiring. And I think a common thread from their lives and through mine is, is, uh, tenacity. And, um, just being able to move forward through challenges and obstacles that come in their way. And I think there's many biographies about men that I think we women, I think you're right. You know, it's history, it's time for her story to, so
Speaker 2 00:16:54 Yes, that's true. I'm I know that it's a, um, inspirational to women all over, uh, in the book clubs. We talk about it and you know, it's just really good to see somebody work through a crisis or a tragedy and come out on the other side. Yeah. Not always as you think it's gonna be right. Um, as easy to come out on the other side and there's a struggle. Yes. Um,
Speaker 3 00:17:19 Resilience there's there's within each of my subjects that I found and hopefully stories that I will tell in the future and in publish form resilience is resonates with me.
Speaker 2 00:17:29 I did really like the way you had the book laid out with the other additional pieces. It, and then the timeline in the back and I is, I'm assuming that's how you set the other one.
Speaker 3 00:17:39 Well, it's actually, I can't take credit for that. That was Ohio university press. That was their format. The Millie biography was just the seconds in the series for the biographies for young readers. And, um, they really wanted, uh, students to dive a little deeper and to understand how sometimes there's something within the story that needs a little further examining or something that can make it relevant to them in their lives. And uh, in the Virginia Hamilton, something that comes to mind, the, of Virginia Hamilton biography. I talk about how Arnold wanted to remember Virginia's phone number and back then, you know, they didn't have cell phones and phone numbers were a very long combination of numbers and letters based on where the person resided and, you know, unlike now where you can, you know, simply exchange or here, gimme your cell phone and I'll put my phone number in. Well that wasn't the case back then. So, you know, kids need to kind of understand, I think how it was back then, which is fascinating to me versus how it is now.
Speaker 2 00:18:37 Absolutely. Yep. Um, let's see. What factors, um, or characteristics of Nancy drew, do you think that milli talking about strong women? What, what did she pull from her own personality in life?
Speaker 3 00:18:51 Oh my goodness. I, he never had the opportunity to meet Millie that I certainly felt as if I had come to know her through all of the research that I'd done in talking with her family and seeing all these primary resources, which I think are very, very important and emphasize that with, with any writer, um, nonfiction via children or adults, but, um, she was feisty <laugh> she was very resourceful. She was tenacious. She would not give up on a story. Uh, there's a great story within the book, which I won't go into, but she has, she did not give up on the story that she was after for the Toledo leg, which she also wrote for, for Toledo times and then the Toledo leg, which she wrote for over 50 years, along with writing 135 children's books. Amazing. But
Speaker 2 00:19:35 That was amazing
Speaker 3 00:19:37 Feisty, independent, um, adventuresome. She was really adventuresome. And so all of those milli characteristics, even though Edward had created the outline mm-hmm <affirmative> and the character he created, he developed the name and the character Mel Millie's job was to flesh it out. And, um, so I think initially Edward was a little concerned about how flippant, if you will, that Nancy could be a little disrespectful of authority <laugh> <laugh> and, um, but the publish, her loved it. So, you know, went on from there. So I think, I think Millie really injected a lot of her own personality into Nancy, for sure.
Speaker 2 00:20:20 It seems like that mm-hmm, um, that, uh, strap Meer did not like some of that, um, or didn't care for some of the things she had put, but she continued to, to clue
Speaker 3 00:20:32 Those well, you know, unfortunately the, the trail of clues is short because he passed, you know, so soon, I mean, their communication was only for four years and, uh, you know, he died in 1930. So what we have to rely upon his letters or, um, then correspondence later from har at Stratemeyer to Millie. But I, I guess I would, it, it might have been kind of a male female, or it may have been creator versus you, if you think, if you created this formula, this foundation, this template, and you had this vision of this character, and then the writer came in and had a little bit of their own that there might be a little bit of pushback from the creator and it, it may have been that, but I, I don't really know the answer to that, but regardless, you know, Nancy, those that manuscript flew and, and Sue Nancy drew that first three stories, the, uh, your case of the hidden clock, the hidden staircase, which was Millie's favorite, I'm often asked that question and the bungalow history, those first three, they flew out the shelves, even despite the fact that they were published in 1930 during the depression.
Speaker 3 00:21:40 So, right.
Speaker 2 00:21:40 This is amazing. Tell me about how you got involved with the Virginia Hamilton project.
Speaker 3 00:21:46 Ah, well, there, again, I was aware of Virginia Hamilton through our work at Claire's day. We have always tried to have our participating authors and illustrators be a reflection of our audiences. And we've always been very inclusive mm-hmm <affirmative>. And I knew that Virginia Hamilton was incredibly significant in the world of children's literature. So I proposed to the Ohio university cross editorial board that I write this biography of her. Now there had been other biographies of Virginia written, but there weren't any that were specific to the middle grade slash young adult audience. And, you know, that was her primary. Granted she had, uh, um, written books, retelling of African American, her African tales. Um, she had written younger books for younger audiences, but primarily middle grade in, in young adults. So I thought that there was a gap there and I had attended the Virginia Hamilton conference for, uh, multicultural literature for children at Kent eight.
Speaker 3 00:22:49 Okay. For several years in going to meet a say, Angela Johnson was one who was presenting there. And I had some communication with her beforehand to say, I would love to meet you. I'd love to talk with you about Claire's day and have you come and participate in Claire's day. And, um, so it was then that I began to really understand how important Virginia's work was and how unique her work was. And so with this proposal, uh, to Ohio university pro all the same feeling like I think it was a bit naive. I mean, I did you, you understand?
Speaker 3 00:23:25 Oh my gosh. I mean, it's, it's fun when I met book festivals or I talked to say an English teacher, which I recently had communication with and she didn't know who Virginia was and it made me really sad. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and then of course I, I get over exuberant and she had to back away from the conversation, but give me, give me, you know, any time and I'll share with you how important Virginia's work was. It was unlike is unlike any work, um, that was ever produced before, not what one would perceive as traditional stories of black people, African American people. They were stories that were fantastical, and yet children could relate to them because of their themes of family and love. And, you know, sometimes we just have in our mindset, what books should be, if they're written by someone who looks different or believes differently than we do, you and Virginia's are not that way.
Speaker 3 00:24:27 And her, she was the first African American male or female to win the Newberry in 1975 for MC against the greats. That book also won the horn book, um, award as well as the, uh, New York times. So Virginia know won the big trifecta of awards for MC against the great in 1974. Her first book Ze was published, I believe in 1968. So there wasn't a big timeframe. I mean, once she figured out this formula for writing these amazing works for children, she was, and her imagination was just incredible. So I learned a, of Virginia through again Claire's day and through friends in the industry, through the Virginia Hamilton conference. And, um, I, it was such a privilege to come to know Virginia through the eyes and heart of Arnold laid her husband who passed away this last year. But through the process we became dear friends and I, I miss him. He was a wonderful man.
Speaker 2 00:25:32 That's um, too bad. Yes. Yeah. Um, so share with us about your daughter, Claire and I notice had such a huge impact on your life and yes.
Speaker 3 00:25:41 Um, yes, the trajectory, as I said from, you know, the beginning with, in Ohio being the, he presented at Claire's day and then going on to the biographies and, and the other work, since I feel as though I have this, Claire's not with me physically, but her spirit prevails and she's there and, you know, single mom and, you know, guess, guess what's next. What's gonna be the next chapter. But, uh, Claire was just 10 when we lost her, she had a misdiagnosed heart condition and, uh, she was away at camp when she passed,
Speaker 2 00:26:16 Oh, how devastated it
Speaker 3 00:26:17 Was, you know, every parent's nightmare. And then some, and, um, we had two other children who were eight and six at the time, another daughter and a son and my husband and I had a wonderful relationship. And from the very beginning through the darkest steps of grief, we felt it very important that we not only honor Claire in some way, but we honor our relationships with each other because we saw through various forms of grief counseling, too many families that had broken apart, too many, you know, just really bad things that had happened to families after a child had died. And we vow that that was not going to happen to us. So there was a lot of work that was going on as a family. And, um, ultimately six of months after she died were fine to my niece's wedding down in Florida. And in my seat pocket time magazine with a story about the Texas book festival and former first lady, Laura Bo, who I admired immensely for mm-hmm, <affirmative> what she was doing with children's literature and promoting literacy and, um, you know, book festivals back.
Speaker 3 00:27:23 We're really just kind of beginning. So this would've been back in 2000, Claire died in 2000, so it was just January of 2001. And in reading the story about the Texas book festival, what really touched me was the fact that they celebrated Texas born authors illustrators, or those who had written about Texas. And they had both adult authors as well as children's book authors. Well, before I became a children's book author, I was freelancing and I would share my stories with the kids, read them to the kids mm-hmm <affirmative>. And, uh, whenever we would read nightly to the children, we would make, we would go to that back flap. And we would learn about the authors and illustrated because we felt it was important that they knew who was creating these wonderful works. Oh yes. I, I knew from that exercise that we had a wealth of talent in literally in our backyard.
Speaker 3 00:28:08 So I'm reading the article and it was like divine intervention. It was Claire saying, Hey, okay, this is what you're gonna do. <laugh>. So Claire's day was born from that moment. And I went back to, I used to work in the hospitality industry. Mm-hmm <affirmative> marketing sales management, my background, I reached out women primarily that I had worked with. And they, um, every one of them said, yes. And we created this team of incredibly strong women who helped me through a very difficult time in my life, not only in the Greek process, but in the process of establishing a children's book festival, which is now going into its 20th years. Oh, that's amazing. Yes. And we, we do re impact now over 25,000 children, 25,000, I'm sure we have school visits. So it's not just a day anymore. We have two, uh, sometimes three festival sites, all of our authors and illustrators, the schools, uh, host them for school visits.
Speaker 3 00:29:00 It's a win-win situation or authors then are earning honor Ram instead of just coming to the book festival and not receiving any funds cuz oftentimes that's the case. Yeah. And um, so they're, they're getting, uh, paid by the schools to share their stories and their successes and their inspirations and get kids all psyched up and then leading into clears day. And then clears day is just filled with such joy between the authors and illustrators being there. But most significantly our care awards are Claire's awards for reading excellence, which are given to children who are nominated by their teachers as being the most improved readers, not the best readers and most improved readers in their schools. We just spoke with our executive director the other day and she just said, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. She said, you cannot believe she said I had a really bad morning.
Speaker 3 00:29:47 And then I'm reading these nomination forms from these teachers. And to hear the stories of how these children are rising above circumstance and situations in learning challenges and they're moving forward and embracing reading now is just, she said, it's brought me to tears, you know, and it happens every year when we start getting these nominations. And now we went from the first year about recognizing 25 children, giving them a book and giving them a personalized certificate to now over 1200 annually. Our goal is to recognize 2000 wow. This year. And each of those children will receive that personalized certificate and now a coupon to select their own book, uh, written by illustrated by our participating Claires, a authors and illustrator. So it's huge. It's huge. It's amazing. It's just so amazing how it's grown
Speaker 2 00:30:36 And so many lives. Your daughter was quite an avid reader, wasn't she? She,
Speaker 3 00:30:41 Wow. And she, she was reading at 10 years of age at high school level. So the challenge as a parent was of course, to find her material that was content appropriate for her. And um, yeah, she would come home with stories about how maybe friends were struggling a little bit and how she was so helping them and how we encouraged her to, you know, she was given that gift of being able to read well from an early age and sometimes other kids, my husband is dyslexic and that's kind of part of the whole background of the story too, that when he would read to Claire, oh, if she was so proficient, she noted that he was switching out the words or he was, you know, doing what the dyslexia brain will do with reading. And she then began reading to him and encouraging him. And so Brad that's, the care awards are kind of Brad's area and he has embraced it and he does all of the word ceremonies and he shares that story and it gets my heart every time I listen to it, it's just, and then one year, or we had our kids now live in Atlanta, in Denver.
Speaker 3 00:31:46 Right. And, um, one is getting married in June, so they won't be home for this year's CLA thing, unless they're surprising. But, um, they were doing their, the awards helping out with the awards ceremonies. And, oh my gosh, I, I just lost it. I just tears out these two who love their sister and we're honoring her as well.
Speaker 2 00:32:06 What an amazing thing to do with your husband as well as your children and now adult children. Yeah. And quite a legacy that you'll leave for their children as well. I mean, that's incredible. I know it makes me wanna cry. I mean, you know, I'm sure everybody does that to you when we cut this out or honestly, you know, we
Speaker 4 00:32:28 Don't know whether to ask. We wanna ask, we know it's a huge, but it provides many
Speaker 2 00:32:32 Networking situations for you
Speaker 3 00:32:35 To, and I
Speaker 2 00:32:36 Have expand
Speaker 3 00:32:37 It well. And not only that, but it really touches me when I hear from someone who has lost a child. Oh, I can't imagine, you know, because grief is not an easy thing to discuss or to share. There are bereavement groups, uh, there are support groups, but sometimes just talking to someone who's been down that path is very helpful. And you know, I've always said that no matter how one moves forward in their journey, as long as you do so in a healthy manner, you know, whether you honor your child or don't honor your child, right. You know, in public or privately, or, you know, that's your choice. This was our choice. And we've had incredible support from so many people over the years that it was literally, um, I say it takes a village to raise a child. It takes the village to celebrate a child as well.
Speaker 3 00:33:27 And it has done all of that. The communities of mommy and Toledo, the library system, Barnes and noble, so many, you know, financial partners and volunteers over the years, it's, it takes a lot of people to make it happen. And you know, at the heart of that is a love for family with a little reader gone too soon. And that's, um, very special to me. So I've always, I felt as though that with Claire's day too, it does offer that opportunity to talk about her and to remember her and to celebrate the joy along with the tragedy of losing here. And I think that that offers lessons to many too, is that it's okay if you want to. It's okay. If you don't, it's just whatever works for you.
Speaker 2 00:34:10 Well, that's, that's an awesome thing. It's hard to know the right words to say, because it's, it's when you take into consideration all the people that are being affected in so many different ways. Like you're saying too, I mean it's hard, you know, it's just like rabbits multiplying. I mean, the things get, you know, spread out farther and farther and more people get helped and children learn to read more and better and desired to have, you know, improve their literacy or, and parents probably too, I would assume, but teachers are amazing too.
Speaker 3 00:34:44 So, and it's very special. Um, we try and take care of our teachers too, knowing that they work so very hard and they, they are a huge part of that progression with these young readers that, you know, if not for them and their interventions and their help, that, you know, we wouldn't be selling, celebrating these children necessarily not certainly appearance or whomever is caring for the child has a big part of that world too. And there's reading specialists and et cetera, but you know, at the heart of it, it has to come down to the teacher who is, is taking the time to, um, fill out the form and recognize the fact that this child is moving forward and their reading journey. So we appreciate them very much. That's
Speaker 2 00:35:22 Incredible. Well, thank you very much for coming.
Speaker 3 00:35:25 Absolutely
Speaker 2 00:35:25 So enjoyable and I'm sure our listeners will love to hear your story.
Speaker 3 00:35:28 Well, thank you. And I would add that they can, if they want to learn more, yes, they can visit our website, uh, Claires day.org. That's C L a I R E S D a y.org or my website, Julie rubini.com. And that's J U L I E R U B I N i.com. Okay. And, um, they'll, there's interconnections between the two, so if they wanna learn more, they can go to those websites. Okay. Great. Well, thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you.
Speaker 1 00:35:57 Thanks for listening to S J's podcast. Visit us in person at your library, branch or [email protected].
